By MauriceGerald
15-Jul-2010

Rare delights from a rare Composer  

I am a fan of the Breton Admiral, Jean Cras; but not of all 'melodies francaises' by any means. Cras was a friend of Duparc; and these songs remind one of his delicacy; and can stand comparison with his and their even more illustrious contemporaries, the chansons of Faure and Debussy. They gain too from the stylish performances of Lionel Peintre - full of nuances - Catherine Estourelles and the magnificent accompaniments of Alain Jacquon.

In 'Pan Pipes' Estourelles - who has to grapple with a fiendish first entry! - is ably backed by the Syrinx ensemble, complete with pan-pipe - to provide a contrast with Jacquon's piano in the other pieces.

Highlights are Peintre's performances of the five pointillist Omar Khayyam pieces, and Fontaines, contrasting with the robust finale of the late (1932) '2 Chansons' which round out the album.

Any lover of early 20th Century French music should try to hear these songs - and then (if they do not already know them) they should hear Cras's String Trio and Quintet for flute, harp and string trio - all available on ClassicsOnline.
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